# US 11,994,265 B2 · Lighting assembly for a vehicle and method for producing a lighting assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,265 B2 - Document ID: US11994265B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/942,331 - Filed: 2022-09-12 - Published: 2023-03-16 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2021-09-10 - Assignees: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Jose De Jesus Rodriguez Puente - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994265B2 ## CPC - F21S 41/37: characterised by their material, surface treatment or coatings - F21S 43/14: Light emitting diodes [LED] - B60Q 1/304: {Adaptations of signalling devices having a part on the vehicle body and another on the boot door} - F21S 41/285: {Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24 - F21S41/2805} - F21S 41/40: characterised by screens, non-reflecting members, light-shielding members or fixed shades - F21S 43/15: Strips of light sources - F21S 43/26: {Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255} - F21S 43/40: characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors - F21S 43/50: characterised by aesthetic components not otherwise provided for, e.g. decorative trim, partition walls or covers - F21V 3/049: {Patterns or structured surfaces for diffusing light, e.g. frosted surfaces} - F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A lighting assembly for a vehicle has a light source accommodated in a housing. The light source is configured to emit light. The lighting assembly has an outer lens coupled to the housing. At least a portion of the outer lens is positioned to receive light emitted from the light source and to transmit the received light to the outside. A black mask member surrounds the portion of the outer lens. The portion of the outer lens that is disposed to receive the light has an inner surface at least a part of which is formed with an integrally formed surface texture. The surface texture is configured to diffusively transmit the light received from the light source. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lighting assembly for a vehicle, the lighting assembly comprising: a housing; a light source disposed in said housing and configured to emit light, said light source including a first light source and a second light source; an outer lens coupled to said housing, said outer lens having a transmission portion thereof positioned to receive light emitted from said light source and to transmit the light to an outside of said housing; a black mask member disposed between said light source and a portion of said outer lens, said black mask member at least partially surrounding said transmission portion of said outer lens thereby defining a sharp and clear boundary between a light-emitting portion of the lighting assembly and an opaque and non-light-emitting, masked peripheral portion of the lighting assembly, wherein: said transmission portion of said outer lens has an inner surface formed, at least in a part of said inner surface, with an integrally formed surface texture configured to diffusively transmit the light received from said light source; said outer lens includes a first outer lens corresponding to said first light source and a second outer lens corresponding to said second light source; each of said first outer lens and said second outer lens being transparent for light emitted from said respective first light source and said second light source in an outward direction; said first outer lens and said second outer lens being spaced apart from one another by a separation gap; each said first outer lens and said second outer lens having an inwardly extending lens portion that extends in an inward direction on a respective side of said separation gap; and said inwardly extending lens portions having inner surfaces formed with said surface texture. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lighting assembly according to claim 1, wherein said surface texture has a surface roughness with an arithmetic mean deviation Ra between 0.4 μm and 18 μm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The lighting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness has an arithmetic mean deviation Ra between 4 μm and 18 μm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The lighting assembly according to claim 1, wherein said surface texture is formed on an entire said inner surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The lighting assembly according to claim 1, wherein said inner surface is formed with a plurality of protrusions formed in said inner surface, with each of said protrusions being formed with said surface texture. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The lighting assembly according to claim 5, wherein said protrusions have a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of a square shape, a rectangular shape, and a circular shape. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The lighting assembly according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of protrusions are arranged to form a regular array of spaced-apart protrusions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The lighting assembly according to claim 5, wherein regions between said protrusions are not-formed as a plain surface. ### Claim 9 A method of manufacturing a lighting assembly, the method comprising the steps of: providing a light source configured to emit light, a housing, and an outer lens; processing at least a part of an inner surface of at least a transmission portion of the outer lens to obtain an integrally formed surface texture to diffusively transmit received light; accommodating the light source in the housing; coupling the outer lens to the housing such that the at least one transmission portion of the outer lens is positioned to receive light emitted from the light source and to transmit the received light to the outside; and placing a black mask member between the light source and a portion of the outer lens to at least partially surround the at least one transmission portion of the outer lens thereby defining a sharp and clear boundary between a light-emitting portion of the lighting assembly and an opaque and non-light-emitting, masked peripheral portion of the lighting assembly, wherein: said outer lens includes a first outer lens corresponding to a first light source and a second outer lens corresponding to a second light source; each of the first outer lens and the second outer lens being transparent for light emitted from the respective first light source and second light source in an outward direction; the first outer lens and the second outer lens being spaced apart from one another by a separation gap; each of the first outer lens and the second outer lens having an inwardly extending lens portion that extends in an inward direction on a respective side of the separation gap; and the inwardly extending lens portions having inner surfaces formed with the surface texture. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of processing the inner surface of the outer lens comprises injection molding the outer lens in a mold having an etched surface to generate the surface texture. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, which comprises forming the etched surface of the mold by etching with laser etching or chemical etching. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A vehicle, comprising a lighting assembly according to claim 1.